One of the most fascinating creatures of German mythology and folklore is the Kobold. Elusive and canny, Kobolds are house spirits, ship or mine spirits who appear in a wide array of shapes and temperaments.
They can be any gender, but generally the house kobold is female or androgynous, while the mine and shipboard kobolds have male characteristics. Kobolds manifest as small humans, elves, hobgoblins, hybrids, fire or animals.
In anthropomorphic forms they may wear clothes or are covered in fine hair. In the fairy tale The Elves and the Shoemaker (German: Die Wichtelmänner), the shoemaker and his wife create new clothes for the elves who help them.
Domestic Kobolds prefer life in a warm fragrant kitchen, while others are at home on sailing ships, riverboats, coal or ore mines. Some are helpful, or embody trickster energy or just downright mean. For instance Cupfernickel (copper nickel) turns good copper bad.
Even the kindest house spirit has a nasty streak if treated with disrespect, which includes forgetting to feed her. Keeping the Kobold happy results in a fortunate household. Meals taste better, the air is fresh, the hearth neatly swept.
Although the Kobold is rarely seen, activities might be noticed; for example, the faint sound of a broom in the kitchen, the rattle of chain or favorable wind on a ship; a vein of gold revealed for the miners.
Kobolds can warn of danger and communicate through scent. A charred smell can alert a person to possible fire hazards; or maybe the pie is burning. A Kobold enjoys harmony and gives gifts when pleased. If the scent of flowers lingers on the air, it's a sign of good luck.
Sweet milk is a favorite of many Faerie creatures and, having elfin associations, the Kobold is no exception. A spoon of honey in a glass of milk is ambrosia to this spirit. It's also common to give the Kobold part of the homeowner's meal. On ships, the Kobold enjoys a drink of rum.
An unhappy Kobold is wrathful and will pee in the milk to turn it bad. S/he can spoil food, start fires, cause accidents or sickness and undo all work done during the day. But if these spirits are happy, the world is a better place.
In the 18th century one European lord claims to receive advice from his Kobold. He gives the spirit the utmost honor, even a bedchamber of its own and the best of fine foods. Kobolds of all kinds value independence but if they find an amiable home, they will stay for many years.
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